The University of Kansas is currently a battleground for the rights of survivors of sexual assault. I began protesting on and off campus a year ago in hopes that other survivors would be encouraged to come forward about how KU handled their complaints. More survivors have come forward with their experiences of being dismissed by Jane McQueeny and the KU Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access and we demand that these administrators be held accountable for their misconduct. The University of Kansas is now being  investigated by the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. We stand in solidarity seeking justice for all survivors. We are demanding change NOW.

Ever since the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access (IOA) was created in 2012, our experiences with campus sexual violence have continually been unaddressed and unacknowledged. Survivors at the University of Kansas have been blamed, accused of lying, simply not believed, or our perpetrators have seen weak consequences, if any. The primary person in charge of how our complaints are handled is IOA’s Executive Director, Jane McQueeny. Jane McQueeny failed to hold my major music professor at KU, Dr. Paul Stevens accountable after he sexually harassed and molested me. He put his hand on my breast, pinched my butt, hugged me tight so my breasts smashed against his chest, was always staring at my breasts, invaded my personal space, and positioned himself in provocative ways to draw attention to his genital region. Furthermore, he coerced me into a very personal relationship with him, claiming he "could not teach me unless I shared my personal background." He insisted I trust him and laid guilt trips on me when I resisted him. His abuse destroyed my education and the University of Kansas failed to provide a remedy. Like many other survivors, I was blamed for the actions of my abuser. The psychological damage was evident and I still experience the trauma every single day. My abuser still teaches at KU and Jane McQueeny has fostered an unsafe and hostile environment.

Jane McQueeny puts the burden of proof on those of us reporting campus sexual assault and sexual violence. The U.S. Department of Education recommends that universities follow a “preponderance of evidence” versus “beyond a reasonable doubt”, thus lowering the burden of proof. Preponderance of evidence means more than 50% likely that sexual violence occurred. Ms. McQueeny’s attitude toward survivors is condescending and evident that she simply does not believe us. She detracts from present issues or turns them around on the complainant. She focuses more on discrediting the survivor and proving the traumatic events didn’t happen as reported. She is unprofessional and becomes very defensive when her ethics are questioned. She was offended when I questioned her credibility and she insisted she was the right person for the job because her previous position was “supervising attorney” for the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education.

The University of Kansas engaged in a Conflict of Interest by hiring a former employee of the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. This means that Jane McQueeny would be better acquainted with what works to keep survivors silent and the university free of a negative image. She has made statements about sexual harassment and assault such as, "I can't tell if it was unwanted" and "All I see is a friendship and friendships aren't illegal". These are victim blaming statements meant to silence and intimidate survivors. Ms. McQueeny was a supervisory attorney for the U.S. Department of Education and lacks the attention to detail required of an investigator. However, she knows the inner workings of the complaint process and the legal loopholes to keep KU protected, not survivors. Thus, I believe she is unqualified for her position as Executive Director of the University of Kansas Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access. I believe Jane McQueeny is lying about our complaints of sexual violence and KU cannot move forward until she is no longer a part of the University Community! Will you help justice be served to all KU students, past, present, and future? Sign this petition for the removal of Jane McQueeny as Executive Director of the KU Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access!